A new study has found that Medicare's recent switch to bundled payments for joint replacements is an effective way to save millions — possibly billions — annually, without affecting patient care, if it's allowed to continue. But that may not happen.

According to a report in Kaiser Health News, Donald Trump's nominee to head Health and Human Services has already made his opinion of the program known — and it's not good.

The way the new program works, Medicare basically agrees to pay a set (bundled) fee to hospitals for all care related to hip or knee replacement surgery; the bundled payment covers the period from the surgery date until 90 days later. Under the traditional system, hospitals would collect payments individually for the multiple separate components of care and rehabilitation.